Nocturnal Screechers: Uncovering Australia's Nighttime Noises

Australia is home to a wide variety of wildlife, some of which are known for making screeching noises at night. From the powerful owl, Australia's largest owl species, to the kookaburra with its distinctive cackle, there are many potential culprits when it comes to nocturnal screeching in the land down under. Other possibilities include the sulphur-crested cockatoo, a large white parrot common in urban areas, and even the common koel, which migrates to Australia each year to breed. So, the next time you hear a screech in the night, it could be one of these unique Australian creatures.

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The Powerful Owl, Australia's largest owl, makes a deep, double hoot

The Powerful Owl, or Ninox strenua, is Australia's largest owl species. It is endemic to eastern and south-eastern Australia, mainly on the eastern side of the Great Dividing Range. Its range extends from southeastern Queensland to Victoria, rarely more than 200 km inland. The Powerful Owl typically inhabits moist forests, wooded mountain gullies, coastal forests, and woodlands. It can also be found in more open areas, such as farmland, parks, and suburban regions.

This owl species is a carnivore, primarily preying on medium to large tree-dwelling mammals, particularly the Common Ringtail Possum and the Great Glider. It also feeds on roosting birds and small ground-dwelling mammals, such as rabbits and small marsupials. The Powerful Owl forages in trees, swooping down on its prey and capturing it with its powerful claws and sharp talons.

The Powerful Owl is easily identifiable by its large size, small head, and rounded tail. Its feathers are dark grey to dark grey-brown with white barring, and it has off-white underparts. Its eyes are yellow and set in a dark grey-brown facial mask, and its legs are feathered. The male and female owls are similar in appearance, but the female is smaller, with a narrower head.

The Powerful Owl is a territorial bird that mates for life, and pairs defend their territory year-round. The male prepares the nest, usually in a vertical hollow of a large old tree, and provides for the female and their young during the early nesting period. The Powerful Owl's call is a distinctive deep, double hoot: 'woo-hoo', with the male's hoot generally being deeper than the female's.

The Southern Boobook, Australia's smallest owl, may be the culprit

The Southern Boobook, also known as the Australian Boobook, is a common resident of Australia, including mainland Australia, Tasmania, and various coastal islands. They are highly adaptable, making their homes in diverse habitats ranging from dense forests to open deserts, rural areas, and even urban environments.

These owls are often heard before they are seen, with their distinctive two-tone 'boo-book' call or hoot carrying up to 1 kilometre away. Their vocalizations are most active from sunset through dawn, sometimes continuing for several hours. The male's hooting is higher pitched and shorter in duration, serving as a contact call, a territorial advertisement, and a signal when bringing food to his mate.

The Southern Boobook is a carnivore, typically preying on small creatures such as insects, mice, and birds the size of sparrows. They are skilled hunters, using elevated perches to scan for prey and then pouncing from above. Their nocturnal habits and sharp senses make them well-adapted to hunting in the darkness.

So, if you're hearing screeches in the night, it just might be the Southern Boobook, Australia's smallest owl, making its presence known in the darkness. Its distinctive call is a common sound throughout much of Australia, even in suburban areas. Keep your ears open, and you might just identify the mysterious nocturnal vocalist in your midst.

The Kookaburra, one of the largest kingfishers, has a loud, territorial cackle

The Laughing Kookaburra, one of the largest kingfishers, is a bird native to Australia and New Guinea. It is easily recognisable by its plumage and voice. The Kookaburra's loud, distinctive cackle, often likened to human laughter, is a territorial call to warn other birds to stay away. This cackle is widely used as a stock sound effect in films, television productions, and theme parks. The call is often sung in a chorus with other individuals and is sometimes accompanied by aggressive posturing to exhibit dominance and ward off intruders.

The Kookaburra is a large, robust kingfisher with a whitish head and a brown eye-stripe. The upper parts are mostly dark brown, but there is a mottled light-blue patch on the wing coverts. The underparts are cream-white, and the tail is barred with rufous and black. The male and female birds look similar. They are found in a variety of habitats, from humid forests to arid savannahs and suburban areas with tall trees or running water.

Kookaburras are almost exclusively carnivorous, eating small reptiles, insects, worms, crustaceans, rodents, lizards, frogs, snakes, and birds. They hunt by perching on branches or wires and waiting for prey to pass by. They are known for bashing larger prey against a tree or the ground to make it softer and easier to eat.

Kookaburras are social birds, often living in family groups. They are known to become tame around humans and will readily accept scraps of meat. They are territorial birds and will defend their areas against intruders. To further enhance this territorial behaviour, they perform aerial displays, such as trapeze and circular flights, swooping towards each other in mid-air when defending their space.

The Kookaburra is a well-known symbol of Australia, featuring in children's television, mascots for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, and even as the morning opening theme for ABC radio stations.

The Sulphur-crested Cockatoo is a noisy bird common in Australian urban areas

The Sulphur-crested Cockatoo is a large white parrot with a distinctive sulphur-yellow crest and a yellow wash on the underside of its wings. It is one of Australia's most popular and iconic birds and is common in urban areas across the country. The species has a reputation for being noisy, with loud squawks and piercing screeches, and has even been described as an "urban hooligan".

The Sulphur-crested Cockatoo's range extends throughout the northern and eastern mainland of Australia, as well as Tasmania. A small population has also become established in Perth, Western Australia. The species is also found in New Guinea and some of the islands of Indonesia, and it has been introduced into New Zealand.

These birds are highly intelligent and adaptable, and they have learned to take advantage of human settlements. They are often seen drinking from bubblers and have even worked out how to open garbage bins to scavenge for food. In some areas, they have become a pest, using their powerful bills to destroy timber decking and panelling on houses. They can also cause damage to crops and newly planted tree seedlings.

The Sulphur-crested Cockatoo is a protected species under Australian Commonwealth Law, and a government permit is required for any culling. Despite this protection, they are sometimes shot or poisoned due to their pest-like behaviour.

The popularity of the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo as a cage bird has contributed to its spread beyond its natural range. These birds have either escaped or been deliberately released in new areas, leading to their increased presence in urban environments. The species has become well-adapted to life in close proximity to humans and is known for its longevity, with some individuals living upwards of 70 years in captivity.

Feral peacocks, an invasive species in Australia, are known to be loud

Feral peacocks, or peafowl, are considered an invasive species in Australia. They are native to India but have been exported to other countries for thousands of years. Their populations have boomed in some unlikely places across Australia, from Rottnest Island to Canberra. While admired for their beauty, they are noisy birds that can divide communities. Some people enjoy the exotic beauty and unique local flavour that the birds bring, while others object to the damage, noise, and sanitary problems caused by the birds.

Peafowl are known to be messy, with their droppings being copious, large, and extremely stinky. They have a bad habit of defecating in pools, on cars, driveways, and rooftops, and their faeces can carry human-transferable diseases. They also rip up roofing material, dig holes in lawns, and gobble up garden plants.

Peafowl can be particularly pugnacious during mating season (March through August), as they stoutly defend their territory and nests. Their calls during this time can be high-pitched and repetitive, and they may keep up their screaming for several months.

In Australia, peafowl were historically released into the southwest corner of the state by the Western Australia Acclimatisation Committee for the purpose of hunting. Feral populations of peafowl were not believed to have survived due to attacks from foxes and dogs, but today they are mostly found on hobby farms. While they are not a common pet, they are known to be noisy, and their populations can quickly grow out of control.

Attempts to control peafowl populations can be challenging. In Oregon, for example, the zoo had to resort to vasectomizing its peacocks to control their numbers. In New Zealand, farmers have tried shooting the birds, but this has proven difficult as the birds are clever and wary in feral populations. Overall, feral peacocks are known to be loud and can cause a range of problems for communities and farmers in Australia and beyond.

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